Blacktail Deer Plateau sincerely in light

It seemed that pleasantries were to be met with a brisk attention to the official business at hand, and so Akhlut followed Hawkeye's lead, giving up any pretense of small talk, since she would have none of it herself. He spared a moment of sympathy for Pied, the Delta, who semed more inclined to share of herself and of her pack, but who was being nearly ignored by her own Alpha, but then, it was not his place to judge.

The Kesuk-Nereides cleared his throat, then answered Hawkeye's query as frankly as he could. "I came to learn what I could of the pack at Blacktail Deer Plateau, and to determine if our relationship will be as allies or as reluctant neighbors or as enemies." His gaze softened, touched on Pied's mottled features, and indicated his own preference for peace, but as he shifted back to Hawkeye he felt a vague distaste for the woman. Something seemed just a bit Dark about her, and Akhlut would have taken her for a follower of Sos if there were any way she could have known of the dark bear goddess his Kesuk relatives revered. He couldn't quite put his nose on what it was, but the gut feeling about the dark Alpha Female lingered.

"How many are your numbers? Are there still deer here, or have they moved on? Do you intend to hunt in Ravensblood Forest? Your plateau is large and is one of the only ways to pass to the south without crossing the river or climbing a mountain. Would you give Horizon Ridge wolves free passage?" Akhlut rattled off the questions by rote, then fell silent, again expectant. He had accompanied his mothers to such meetings before, and was surprised at the things he remembered to ask.